Campus Safety & Emergency Procedures

Personal Safety

Emergency Procedures

Active Shooter

An active shooter is defined as one or more subjects who actively engage in killing or causing life-threatening injuries to multiple people in a confined and populated area. Active shooter situations are dynamic, evolve quickly, and often end before law enforcement arrives at the scene. How you respond to an active shooter will be dictated by the specific circumstances of the encounter. If you find yourself in an active shooter situation, try to remain as calm as possible and use these suggested actions to help you plan a strategy for survival.

Should you ever find yourself in the middle of an active shooter incident, your survival may depend on whether or not you have a plan. The plan doesn't have to be complicated. There are three things you could do that make a difference: Run. Hide. Fight.

RUN. When an active shooter is in your vicinity:

If there is an escape path, attempt to evacuate

Evacuate whether others agree to or not

Leave your belongings behind

Help others escape if possible

Prevent others from entering the area

Call to 911 (9-911 from a campus phone) when you are safe

HIDE. If an evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide:

Lock and/or blockade the door

Silence your cell phone

Hide behind large objects

Remain very quiet

Your hiding place should:

Be out of the shooter's view

Provide protection if shots are fired in your direction

Not trap or restrict your options for movement

FIGHT. As a last resort, and only if your life is in danger:

Attempt to incapacitate the shooter

Act with physical aggression

Improvise weapons

Commit to your actions

Arriving law enforcement's first priority is to engage and stop the shooter as soon as possible. Officers will form teams and immediately proceed to engage the shooter, moving towards the sound of gunfire.